Today's Saturday Share Recipe is one you can make for virtually any mean—breakfast, lunch, dinner or that special combo of brunch.
Smothered Potatoes is a side dish that wants to be the star of the meal, and it can be with the addition of a couple of ingredients..
This dish may be what some of you call Country Fried Potatoes, but my Mom always called it Smothered Potatoes.
It's easy to make, delicious to eat, economical, and serves a bunch of hungry people. The great thing about this recipe is you can use only potatoes, salt, and pepper, and have a great side dish or fancy it up with onions and/or bell pepper.
Change the mild cooking oil for olive oil and add rosemary for an Italian taste. There are a lot of things you can do with this side dish. Change the seasoning to Mexican spices and add some poblano peppers with the bell peppers. The ideas are endless.
SMOTHERED POTATOES
Ingredients
1 medium to large sized potato for each adult
1 large onion, diced
1 large bell pepper, any color, diced
1 tablespoon of water
Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Mild Cooking Oil or lard if you're into that. (Olive Oil and Rosemary for an Italian spin.)
Cast iron skillet or other heavy frying pan of a size to accommodate the amount you cook.
Lid to cover the skillet.
Directions
1. Peel and dice the potatoes. The smaller the dice, the faster they'll cook so take that into account.
2. Dice the onion and use as much as you think is needed based on the amount of potatoes.
3. Dice the bell pepper. Use as much as is needed based on the amount of potatoes.
4. Pour enough cooking oil onto the bottom of the skillet to lightly coat it. Turn the heat on to warm up the oil.
5. Place the potatoes in the skillet and begin cooking at medium to high heat. You want it hot enough to get some browning on the potatoes but not so hot that they'll burn. Stir the potatoes around.
6. When you see some lovely browning on the potatoes, scoot them over to one side of the skillet and add the onion and bell pepper. If you find the veggies are sticking, add another tablespoon of oil.
7. When the veggies begin getting some color on them, mix them in with the potatoes, add 1 tablespoon of water. Sprinkle the mixture with salt and black pepper.
8. Reduce the heat to low to medium and cover the skillet with a lid. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Should take about 15-20 minutes. Serve hot.
MAKE IT A MAIN DISH
It's easy to turn Smothered Potatoes into a main dish.
Add eiither of these proteins to the potatoes: browned, seasoned ground beef or sliced smoked sausage.
If you went the Italian seasoning profile using olive oil and rosemary, add sauteed, crumbled mild Italian sausage, drained, to the potatoes.
By the way, some of you may not have an iron skillet. If you don't, you should invest in one because they're superb in cooking everything from Flat Iron Steak to cornbread.
(I don't know what pre-seasoned means in regard to a new skillet because I've probably had my skillets more years than most of you have been alive. LOL)
TAKEAWAY TRUTH
I love cooking something that can be so versatile.
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